The choice of an independent people had exalted the fugitive of Mecca to the rank of a sovereign; so that he was now invested with the prerogative of forming alliances, and of waging offensive or defensive war. In other words, being now the Star of the Pit he possessed the power of kindling within its limits a burning furnace, in which might be melted down into one homogeneous mass, all the tribes of Arabia. This was the arduous work before Mohammed in the last years of his reign to eradicate idolatry, subdue the Jews, and to conquer the Arabs, so as to unite all under his standard. His former moderation, the effect of weakness, was superseded by a fiercer and more sanguinary tone; and he gave out that he was commanded to propagate his religion by the sword, to destroy the monuments of idolatry, and to pursue the unbelieving nations of the earth. The martial prophet fought in person at nine battles, or sieges; and fifty enterprises of war were achieved in ten years by himself or lieutenants. "The Key of the Pit of the Abyss was given to him;" nor was he ignorant of the nature of the key bestowed upon him. "The sword," said he, "is the key of heaven and of hell."

It was not long before the fire was kindled in the furnace of the pit. The battle of Beder, A.D. 623, was the spark that set the fuel all ablaze. This led to the battle of Ohad, six miles north of Medina. In this, Mohammed was wounded. In A.D. 625, Medina was besieged by the troops of Mecca, but without capture; and on retiring, the enemy no longer hoped to subvert the throne, or to check the conquests, of the invincible exile.

By exciting and joining in this attack upon Medina, the Jews of Arabia brought upon themselves the fierce wrath of the Star of the Pit. The fiery furnace he had kindled consumed them. Their castles were reduced, and Chaibar, the seat of the Jewish power in Arabia, submitted to the yoke. Under the reign of Omar, the Jews of Chaibar were transplanted to Syria; in justification of which he alleged the dying injunction of Mohammed, that only the one true religion should be professed in his native land Arabia.

The attack upon Medina was retaliated upon Mecca. Mohammed assembled ten thousand soldiers for its conquest. The idolators being hopeless of success, surrendered at discretion. Their prince, the haughty Abu Sophian, presented the keys of the city, observing, that the son of Abdallah had acquired a mighty kingdom, and confessing, under the scymitar of Omar, that he was the Apostle of the true God. Mohammed forgave the guilt, and united the factions of Mecca. The chiefs of the idolators were prostrate at his feet. "What mercy," said he, "can you expect from the man whom you have wronged?" "We confide in the generosity of our kinsman." "And you shall not confide in vain: begone! you are safe, you are free!" The people of Mecca deserved their pardon by the profession of Islam; and after an exile of seven years, the fugitive missionary was enthroned as the prince and prophet of his native country.

The conquest of Mecca determined the faith and obedience of the Arabian tribes. Yet an obstinate remnant still adhered to the idolatry and liberty of their ancestors. Four thousand pagans descended into the valley of Honain hoping to take the prophet at disadvantage. At first, the battle prevailed against the Moslems, and their prophet greatly endangered; "O my brethren," he repeatedly cried with sorrow and indignation, "I am the son of Abdallah, I am the apostle of truth! O man, stand fast in the faith! O God, send down thy succor!" The flying Moslems returned from all sides to the holy standard. The tide of battle had turned against the idolators, which Mohammed, standing in his stirrups to overlook the conflict, perceiving, clapped his hands with joy, and exclaimed, "at last the fire is kindled in the furnace." His conduct and example had restored the battle, and he animated his victorious troops to inflict a merciless revenge.

From the field of Honain, he marched to the siege of Tayef, sixty miles southeast of Mecca. After a siege of twenty days; he sounded a retreat, but he retreated with a song of devout triumph, and affected to pray for the repentance and safety of the unbelieving city. He was followed by the deputies of Tayef, who dreaded the repetition of the siege. "Grant us, O apostle of God, a truce of three years, with the toleration of our ancient worship." "Not a month, not an hour." "Excuse us at least from the obligation of prayer." "Without prayer religion is of no avail." They submitted in silence; their temples were demolished, and the same sentence of destruction was executed on all the idols of Arabia. His lieutenants, on the shores of the Red Sea, the ocean, and the gulph of Persia, were saluted by the acclamations of a believing people. Thus, the fiery wars of this "great furnace" of the pit destroyed idolatry, and brought the Arab nation to submit to the God and sceptre of Mohammed. The sword of Arabia was the sword of God, forged and sharpened for judgment upon the idolators of Syria and Greece. Hitherto, the Pit of the Abyss was closed. The wars raging within were internal fires, whose smoke had not drifted toward the west. The star-power that had kindled the furnace, had first to subdue all enemies within the pit of the abyss, before it could issue forth, and precipitate its incendiary fires upon the nations of the abyss itself.

The key-sword of power was not only given to the Star of the Pit, but he was to use it in opening the pit. The fact that the reigning star power in the heaven did open the pit, the manner in which he opened it, and in what sense the smoke arose from the pit, and locusts issued out of it "into the earth," as the falling of the star therein -- is illustrated by what follows.